Railroad-tie.



E. A. UBL'L. RAILROAD TIE.

APPLICATION FILED MAI 1.26, 1908.

Patented June 15, 1909.

m q BY A TTORNEYS' THE mwms PETERS ca WASHINGTON, D. a

EDWARD ALEXANDER BUELL, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

RAILROAD-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1909.

Application filed March 26, 1908. Serial No. 423,367.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD ALEXANDER Boom, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Ties, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in railroad ties, and particularly in metal ties, and has for an object to provide for a novel construction whereby the rails may be securely held from spreading and will be cushioned, and the cushion will have its elasticity entirely confined within the tie and the rail can rise and fall without displacing the tie, thus permitting the rebound of the track without loosening the tie in its ballast or other seat; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and-combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of my tie ballasted in concrete. Fig. 2 is a side view of the tie. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section on about line 3-8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4; is a detail cross section on about line il of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view showing the cap with a single bearing lug, at the outer edge of the rail, and Fig. 6 is a detail plan view showing the bearing lugs for engagement with the outer edge of the rail. without the hook portion, and in connection with a rail clamp between the said lugs.

In carrying out the invention, the tie A may be ballasted in the usual way, or in concrete B, as shown in Fig. 1. This tie is provided with a base plate A, and the upwardly projecting side plates A forming a trough like construction which may in practice he filled with the concrete or other ballast, and a brace A may extend between the side plates A between the rails G, as shown in Fig. l, and this cross brace may be riveted in place as shown or otherwise suitably secured as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

Cross plates D extend between the side plates A and form upwardly opening pockets E, in which the cushion F is confined by the cap G, so the elasticity of the cushion F which may be of wood or other suitable material, is wholly available. The cross plates D are shown made.v separate from the body of the tie, and having at their ends flanges D secured by rivets D to the side plates A the flanges D being turned outwardly away from the pocket A so the interior of the said. pocket will be entirely unobstructed in a vertical direction to per mit the cushion F, and the cap G to operate freely in a vertical direction in the said pocket.

The cushion F is in the bottom of the pocket E, and the cap G is mounted on said cushion, and is preferably in the form of a casting, usually of steel, fitted to slide up and down in the pocket E, to bear at its lower face on the upper face of the cushion F, and is chambered transversely at G forming the upper plate G and the lower plate G the latter having an opening at G through which the bolt II, for securing the rail clamp I may be inserted to the position shown in Figs. 8 and 4:.

The rail clamp I has a perforation for the passage of the bolt II and has the lip or flange which overlies the inner flange of the rail base, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and a, and securely holds the rail base to the cap G. The cap G is provided with an upwardly projecting bearing portion forming a seat for the outer edge of the rail base. This may be provided by the two lugs J, shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, and having the hook portion J to overlie the rail base or the said seat may be in the single form illustrated at J in Fig. 5; or where desired the spaced apart lugs may be made without the hooks J, as shown at J in Fig. 6, and the rail clamp similar to the clamp I may be disposed between the lugs J as shown at I in Fig. 6.

In the operation of the described construction, it will be noticed that I provide a firm secure bearing for the outer edge of the rail base which cannot be displaced in any way, this being important as with the heavy equipment of the modern railroad great difficulty is experienced in holding the rail by any form of a construction. I also entirely confine the cushion F so that no portion of the elasticity of the same can escape verti cally or laterally, but the entire elasticity is exerted in opposition to the pressure of the rail through the cap Gr.

An important feature of my invention is the arrangement of the cap G to slide vertically within its pocket, so that the rebound of the rail after a train has passed will not operate to lift the tie and so loosen the same in its ballast. I thus provide a rail support secured to the rail and movable with the rail independently of the tie.

I claim 1. The combination of a tie provided with an upwardly opening pocket, a cushion in the bottom of said pocket, a cap in the pocket above the cushion and having a transverse chamber or passage forming upper and lower walls, the lower wall having an opening through which a bolt may be passed, a rail clamp, and a bolt securing the rail clamp to the upper wall of the cap, substantially as set forth.

2. The improvement in ties herein described comprising a tie proper provided with an upwardly opening socket, a cap plate in the upper end of said socket having a transverse chamber forming upper and lower Walls, the upper wall having a bolt hole, a bolt passed upwardly through said hole and rail securing means held by the bolt, substantially as set forth.

EDWARD ALEXANDER BUELL. lVitnesscs PERCY A. SMITH, C. LEE DUDLEY. 

